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RPlog:An Unlikely Alliance
---- A single New Republic corvette, the NRCV Audacity, had jumped into the Nal Hutta system some time ago. Thanks to the interdictor cruiser in system, the corvette had been forced to take the 'long way', being drawn out of hyperspace at the fringes of the interdiction field. All along the way, a compliment of X-wing starfighters have been on rotation, keeping a close-quarters patrol of the Audacity as she heads closer and closer to the fray. Now, the Audacity has parked herself at a decent sensor range, and has begun to rely on the X-wings to accommodate their scouting patrols of the system. A lone Corvette surely couldn't be meant to break up the battle, so clearly the New Republic task force is here for a different reason. Aboard the Audacity, former General Luke Skywalker has come down to volunteer for one of the next patrols. He's to be teamed up with Flight Cadet Seamus Doherty, who will be piloting Ghost Five. Striding onto the flight deck, Luke is pointed toward the new pilot, and he walks over with a brisk stride and a helmet under his arm. Where the Corvette has just arrived, the Emendation has been sitting in system for several days, just outside sensor range as they do their own thing, namely doing recon and gathering intelligence reports while waiting for the time they can move in and extract the CSA and CSSD people from Nar Shaddaa. Upon the bridge, Lt. Virda, the CO of a 25-man task force, is sitting at one of the sensor consoles. The fact that the Audacity enters the system does not escape her notice and she keeps track of its movement, curious as to what's going on and what their intentions are. On the flight deck of the Corvette, Flight Cadet Doherty is in the cockpit of Ghost Five, performing the last of the pre-flight checks and preparing to power up the engines. He looks across at the other X-Wing and smiles, before punching in the autopilot data and preparing to take off. Giving Kolky a salute, Luke climbs into the cockpit of Jedi One. R2-D2 had done all the grunt work getting her ready for flight. Within moments, Jedi One is lifting off the flight deck and moving into position behind Ghost Five. "Nice to meet you, Doherty," says Luke over their encrypted comm. "Maybe after this Phoenix'll give you a break and we can grab some caff. All pre-flight systems go, I'm ready when you are." The Audacity slows to a halt, and prepares to launch her next flight of patrols. A trio of X-wings comes into sensor range, headed in doubt toward the Audacity... no doubt this is the patrol that Kolky and Luke will be relieving. Frowning, Twila leans over the console, tapping a few places upon its display before she shakes her head. "What are you doing here..." she asks out loud without even realizing it, causing one of the bridge crew to startle until they realize the woman's talking to herself. As the ship stops, she frowns, some, her brow creasing as she shakes her head. "Seems like we have more people joining the party..? Well, the more the merrier, I suppose." Ghost Five pauses for a moment, then flies smoothly out of the Audacity, circling for a few moments so the patrol can get in formation and then says "So...you want to lead?" over the encrypted comm, a slight note of tension in his voice. There is a small task force from the Corporate Sector, also investigating the blockade. It's composed of the Strike Cruiser Authority, and the Marauder Corvette, Emendation. "What the hell is it, Lieutenant?" A frown, and Gren pauses to take a puff of the deathstick that he brought with him, upon leaving his stateroom. After receiving the report, the Colonel sighs. "A pair of X-wings? That's why you woke me? It’s not as if we don't launch our own patrols. So long as they aren't shooting, let me bloody work on the planning." With a frown, the Corporate Sector Security officer slips into his command chair, and looks to his communications officer. "Send my next message, tightbeam to the Flight Lead of those X-wings, Comms. "A few seconds later, and he speaks once again, this time transmitting toward Jedi One. "New Republic fighter, this is the Corporate Sector Security vessel, Authority. Welcome to Nar Shaddaa. Your intentions are merely a patrol, I presume?" He likes to jump straight into business, this one. Jedi One soars out of the Audacity's main hangar and forms up on Ghost Five's wing. The other X-wing patrol begins to break up then, moving into position to land in the Audacity as Jedi One and Ghost Five soar around toward the front end of the Audacity. "This time, yes," he replies. Skywalker felt better being in command when flying with an unfamiliar pilot. "Artoo, run a basic sensor sweep." R2-D2 bleeps rapidly as he digests the incoming sensor information and begins feeding the tactically important notes to Luke's display. "Well, that sure is an interesting array of parties, isn't it?" he asks, flipping a switch to send his sensor readout over to Kolky's console so he can look at what Luke's looking at. "Let's steer clear of that Imperial Star Destroyer, we don't need to light up the skies prematurely," he suggests, and is about to say something else, when the tightbeam transmission interrupts him. Cueing the comm system so that Kolky can overhear, Luke replies. "Thank you, Authority. That's an affirmative, patrols and system surveillance to determine if any friendlies will require assistance." He glances over toward Kolky's cockpit, and makes a hand gesture to tell him to stay on his wing. Jedi One begins to soar out at a slow pace, banking around to bring themselves away from the NRCV Audacity and parallel to the Smuggler's Moon, visible in the far distance. "You wanted to know if anything came up, didn't you?" Lt. Virda says to Colonel Delede, her voice tight in annoyance over something or another. As the X-wing peel off and start heading away from the Audacity, she frowns. "Damnit... Colonel, do you want me to keep them in sensor range or should I let them go?" She has no idea who is flying the fighters but the fact that the NR is getting involved has her a bit ill at ease. Too many cooks and broth and whatnot. The sensor's range is upped slightly, but she's not about to try and push it too hard, not wanting the fighter pilots to notice they're being scanned quite yet. Another puff on his deathstick, and Gren sighs, snapping his fingers for his astromech, SH0RTY to detach from the computer terminal, and roll over. A second later, and the little compartment on top of the R2 unit's dome opens, into which Delede taps his built up ash. "Patch the Emendation into our communications, Comms. Sensors, keep focused on the X-wings, but nothing overt." The X-wings would have noticed the arrival of a pair of Z-100's, though they make no maneuver to intercept, heading for the Authority's landing bay, as it seems, they too, are keeping active patrols of their little region of the system. "Flight Ops? Go ahead and keep Balance squadron on their rotation, the Rebel's presence doesn't change things. Ghost Five keeps on Jedi One's wing perfectly, but the pilot feels uneasy. Opening the encrypted comm channels, he says "I have a feeling that somebody's watching us.", then throttles back slightly, waiting for Jedi One's response, all the while staring straight ahead, with his eyes narrowed, his green eyes glancing at all the ships, “Don't do anything to antagonize them, Lieutenant Virda. We may need to work together, if we want to get our people off the surface. And, we damn well can't take on an ISD, and Vichten's fleet, alone." That was his private reply to Emendation. Another puff on his deathstick, and Gren sighs, snapping his fingers for his astromech, SH0RTY to detach from the computer terminal, and roll over. A second later, and the little compartment on top of the R2 unit's dome opens, into which Delede taps his built up ash. "Patch the Emendation into our communications, Comms. Sensors, keep focused on the X-wings, but nothing overt." The X-wings would have noticed the arrival of a pair of Z-100's, though they make no maneuver to intercept, heading for the Authority's landing bay, as it seems, they too, are keeping active patrols of their little region of the system. "Flight Ops? Go ahead and keep Balance squadron on their rotation, the Rebel's presence doesn't change things." Those orders given, the man presses the communications activation switch on the arm of his command chair. "Acknowledged, X-wing. We're here to do the same. I was surprised to see you only brought a single corvette, though. I would think that a chance to take Malign, and his personal IS2D, would have been jumped upon. He's here on private Sith business. The Imperial war machine is not involved, according to reports from my intelligence officer... You might send that along to your superiors, and NR:I. If they haven't discovered that." Skywalker mutes the tightbeam with the CSAV Authority so that he can converse with Kolky in Ghost Five for a moment. "I'd say that's accurate, Ghost Five." The Z-100's blip onto the X-wing's sensor readouts, gathering Luke's attention for a moment. "Most likely patrols, Five." Then he goes silent to observe the Authority's response. "Copy that, Authority, and we appreciate it. Ghost Five, zap that report back to the Audacity on encrypted channel six." Luke says this over the tightbeam connection between all three ships, in an effort to maintain an atmosphere of neutrality between the CSA and NR forces. There is a pause, however, as Luke considers whether to fully identify himself. They probably aren't close enough for the Authority to capture the full identity of Jedi One's transponder yet. "As for that Star Destroyer... I'm not entirely sure that we want to erupt the system like that, Authority. We're here to investigate, depending on those investigations we may choose a different course." No personal identification yet, but Luke makes a cautious decision to begin leading his patrol on a route that might bring them into the Authority's sensor range without lighting up any nervous commanders. Muting the tightbeam again, he says to Kolky, "Five, set for vector two-seven-Leth." Jedi One begins a slow turn, headed on her new vector. "Understood.." Twila sighs out as she response to the Colonel. One of the voices outside of Gren's sounds vaguely familiar to her but she can't quite place her finger on why, the fact that she's unable to remember why it would bothering her to no end. If Luke said his name she hasn't caught it so, for now, she's left with the nagging feeling that she should know who it belongs to. "I'll admit that I don't really care about anything outside of getting down there and getting our people out. I'll leave all the boring stuff to you guys." Ghost Five throttles up, so that it is level with Jedi One, and Flight Cadet Doherty looks across, and smiles, before throttling back, and opening up the comm channel again "It's quiet. But that's a good thing, I don't really want to die on my first patrol out here." The pilot suddenly tenses up, as if he's seen something, or recognized something, the ship dropping back into a natural formation "No problem, X-wing. Though, I think you'd be missing out on a chance to destroy a threat to the galaxy, if you pass up an isolated fleet like this." A light chuckle, and Gren pauses, before speaking again. "But then, I shouldn't be suggesting violence against the Imperial Advisor to the Direx board. As much as I hate the bastard. Oh, I'm Colonel Gren Delede, by the way." He does seem to be a rather friendly sort, at least, over the communications array. There is another of his pauses, before he speaks, his voice dropping. "Though, between us. We would stand with you, should a battle erupt. My Chief Medical Officer, and a CSSD Captain are trapped on the surface, and Tyler Damion won't let us bring them out." A flick of the switch, over to the Emendation's private channel..."Twila. Play nice with these people. If we attack Tyler and Vichten’s, we will need all of the friends that we can get." A clearing of his throat, and he flips back over to the four-way encrypted communications, silently watching as a pair of Centurions launch, and begin their assigned patrol. With his tightbeam open again, Luke chuckles slightly in response to Gren's own chuckling. It's half-hearted though... he had reasons for being here that went beyond war and intelligence. Oddly enough, those reasons were just spiked. His voice grows rather serious and sober when it’s his turn to respond. "Copy that, Colonel Delede. I'm Luke Skywalker, it's good to make your acquaintance. Perhaps we should take this conversation off the tightbeam and bring it somewhere more secure, it could prove to be fruitful." He casts a look over toward Ghost Five, quietly considering exactly how to proceed. He could send Ghost Five to rendezvous with another patrol, or he could have Kolky come with him... a frown envelopes his face at the thought of the latter. He doesn't like it... and that might put him alone on a CSA vessel. Well, he's dealt with worse. Luke turns his helmeted head back around and looks off to port, where he can see the lingering CSA vessels. Quietly he begins seeking the will of the Force, searching patiently through the web of darkness that is knit around the planet. "Oh for the love of the Force.." Twila mutters, perhaps a bit too loudly, surely loud enough for at least the more attentive listeners to catch that as it is said. She looks around herself, noticing that at least one or two of the bridge crew heard her, their puzzled expressions getting the Lt. to blush, some. "Go back to work.." she grunts out before she turns away, moving away from the console and towards the main viewport, her hands clasped behind her back. "I am always willing to extend hospitality to you, Skywalker, if you'd like to meet us here..?" Pausing, she winces before adding, "With your permission of course, Colonel Delede." She looks out over the stars, feeling slightly ill at the thought of inviting those she once saw as her enemy upon 'her' ship but the offer is made, perhaps a form of a proverbial olive branch. Flight Cadet Doherty leans forward and switches on the comm once again, "Jedi One? How do you want to work this? I'm puzzled by the CSA's actions. And downright scared of the Imp ship here." Suddenly Ghost Five rolls to port, and forms up a bit further away, as if anticipating an attack. "Skywalker." The word is said simply, the intonations of Gren's voice belaying his Coruscanti heritage, and still holding some of his former Imperial training. But, a moment later, and he speaks again. "A meeting would be...most interesting. And, I assure you, most safe. The Authority's fighter bay is more than large enough to handle a pair of X-wings, for a short time." A pause, and does flick the channel over to the Emendation's private line. "Twila. Emendation could not fit another pair of fighters into its bay. Nor is it appropriate for you to offer such invitations. You do not command here." A quiet sigh, and he doesn't add what he's thinking, because it wouldn't be proper, considering. But, it is a good thing that they are sleeping apart, on separate ships, right now. A flick of that oft-used switch, and he is speaking to the four of them, again. "Emendations' Captain has had a run in with you, Skywalker. She shot you on Corellia, apparently. She is no longer in Imperial service, though. She will mind her manners." He is bluntly honest, sometimes. "If you choose to meet, you will be cleared, all the way. I do think that we are better served as friends, than enemies. CSA policy be damned, in that regard." Luke switches from the tightbeam to his encrypted channel. "Stay on me, Ghost Five," corrects Luke with a brisk and firm tone. Kolky may be green, but he'll need to learn to follow his commander even in terrifying situations. He then switches back over to the tightbeam with the CSA vessels and listens to the dialogue from Gren and Twila. Luke's eyebrows arch downward as he recalls his little 'visit' to Corellia some time ago. His lips curl into something of a smirk, and after a few more moments, he's made up his mind. "I copy, Colonel Delede. I'm on my way, but I'll be coming alone." Skywalker switches back to the encrypted channel so that he can speak privately with Kolky. "Ghost Five, the Audacity and Ghost Squadron have no obligations to Jedi affairs. Break formation and go back to the Audacity on my mark, the next patrol can jump on schedule early and take our shift. Inform Major Sh'vani that I have gone to visit Colonel Gren Delede aboard the CSAV Authority, and that I will be in contact with her as soon as possible. Am I clear?" The sound of gritting teeth from Lt. Virda causes those around her to scatter, perhaps knowing her a bit too well and wanting to get out of range incase the woman blows up. She doesn't like being dressed down, especially when others might be able to hear, and she has to bite back words that would be very bad for her to yell at her commanding officer at this moment. "Yes, sir. I’ll be there in a moment." The comms are shut on the Emendation's side and Twila makes preparations for the second in command to take over control of the bridge while she's elsewhere. Oh, damn. Gren is just going to have to extend her assignment to Emendation, or make that promotion final, if he ever wants to feel the touch of the blue-skinned Twi'lek again, isn't he? A sigh, and Delede clears his throat. "I will clear the main hangar, and meet you down there, Skywalker. I'd rather the majority of my crew remained in the dark, for the moment." A click, as the communications on his end are shut down, but they are replaced by a man who doesn't sound as bored as most of his types often do. "Jedi One. This is CSAV Authority Fighter Operations. You are cleared to land in the Public Hangar. You will direction a landing position, and met by Colonel Delede." ---- Main Hangar and Docking - CSAV Authority The Docking Bay is large and spacious. Fighters are lined in an orderly fashion towards the rear section of the room. A few technicians and droids can be seen scampering around the area, but it is not overly crowded. The walls are high and colored a darker gray than most of the ships. Two small control panels are stationed in between the entrance to the TurboShaft and the personnel entrance to the Cargo Bay. ---- ---- Luke A slim, evenly built man with pleasantly youthful, unassuming features. He's a bit shorter than two meters in height, and his fair, sun-blond hair is parted down the left and swept to either side, hanging just low enough to touch his ears. A faint scar is noticeable in the crease between his nose and his mouth. Though he is still young, on his face there are signs of burdens too heavy for his years. To those who know him, these characteristics are only physical reminders of the knowledge and power the years have brought him. But his blue eyes are bright, with faint laugh lines at the edges, and his smile is usually infectious to those around him. He wears a New Republic pilot's ground uniform. The generic, snug-fitting jumpsuit has a number of pockets and hooks in all the right places for attaching flight gear in emergency situations. Two identifying patches are the only flair the outfit has. One of them is an old and faded Rebel Alliance insignia, the other a newer but still fading New Republic flame. A lightsaber is seen clipped to the belt that encircles his waist, along with a couple of other pouches for carrying basic field equipment. ---- ---- Delede Standing at five feet and eleven inches, this man is not tall. And, he is not stocky or squat, his build is lithe and wiry, and the man obviously keeps himself in good shape, with the lean body of a runner, or swimmer. The man's complexion is pale, as if he stays as far away from bright sun as possible. His jet-black hair is cut short, and messily styled.. He has one dark blue eye the color of a heavy storm cloud. An eye patch rests over his left eye socket, the black elastic that connects to the patch runs into his hairline, and around his left check. His face is completed by a rather large, hawkish nose and pale lips, situated over a strong chin. Quite high on the left side of his neck, is a tattoo. It is a pair of interlocked rings, one a solid black, while its partner is blue, like the flesh of some Twi'leks. Delede is wearing a rather expensive looking outfit, looking as if it has been tailored to fit his body. His torso is covered by a black tunic, cut in a quasi-military style, similar to an Imperial Naval Uniform. The main difference is the material, as it is silky, and shiny. Its sleeves are trimmed in a slim silver piping, which circles it's cuffs in a single band, around each wrist. It is fastened by a horizontal row of small silver buttons that run across the top of chest, on the left side, just under the collarbone. On either shoulder, have been affixed small insignia that identify him as a Colonel in Corporate Sector Security, as well as the CSA starburst. The man's pants are made of a more sturdy, but equally attractive black material, cut to fit him tightly, but allowing freedom of movement. A stripe of the same silver trim runs down the outside of either leg, about an inch wide. An M434 Blaster pistol sits in a tie-down holster, low-slung on his right leg. A shoulder holster, under his left arm, contains an M434 Blaster Pistol. On his feet are a pair of shined, but old Imperial issue naval boots that reach up mid-calf, into which his pants are stuffed. A vibro-knife is apparent, in the right boot. ---- ---- Twila Exotic. Alien. Beautiful. Tall. All words that describe the appearance of the woman before you, the blue-hued Twi'lek unlike most seen in this sector. There are two major things that set this alien women apart from other females - one is her height which tops out at about 5'11", way above what's considered average for most women, and the second is the pair of lekku that flows from the crown of her head. The long, tentacle-like appendages are draped over her delicately formed shoulders, the tips of which twitch periodically from time to time as if they were alive. The right lek has been recently tattooed, the image that of two interlocking rings - one inked a very solid black while the other's only outlined in black, letting her own natural skin tone come through. Her dark eyes hold quite the almond shape to them, the lids sloping to a point that is further accented by the black eyeliner that frames them. The lids are further accented by the smoky makeup that has been carefully applied, just enough to further deepen the shape of her eyes and accent the hue of her flesh. Her highly boned cheeks and lips are a soft pink, also thanks to cosmetics, pointing to her delicate bone structure and the bow-like shape of her lips. Her face is free from blemishes and only a slight spread of freckles across her nose breaks the sky-blue theme of her skin. Even the slight striping that runs down her lekku are blue although the markings themselves are a slightly darker color than her skin. The only thing that detracts from her beauty is a newly formed scar upon her chin that runs from left to right and measures about three inches in length. Her build is slender, slight, athletic yet feminine just the same. She's currently wearing a black flightsuit, the garment apparently tailored to her specifications and measurements, the black material conforming perfectly to her body. It zips up the front and holds many pockets for her various belongings to be placed within while not being used. The legs of her uniform are tucked into heavy leather, steel-toed boots that are highly polished. ---- The Public hangar has been totally cleared of personnel, and even droids, save for a trio of beings, standing near where the X-wing was directed. No weapons are drawn, and there is something of a small smirk on Gren's face. "This is awfully similar to my first meeting with Malign, love. Right down to the X-wing." A quiet sigh, and he looks over at Twila, and his face softens, for just a moment, before he returns to business, a stony cast crossing his visage. Hands are clasped behind the back of his tailored uniform, and the Colonel speaks, quietly. "Mind your manners. Be bloody civil. This could help us both, in the long run." Whatever this is. Now, he waits for the guest to disembark. "I know how to behave.." not that Twila chooses to, often, "..but thank you for the reminder." She gives his ship a baleful look, one that speaks well of her feeling for the pilot, but she remains quiet, being civil just as she was told. Or almost, as she does lash out a bit in her slight ire, giving Shorty a bit of a kick in its front leg, the result being a rather satisfying *thunk*. Once Jedi One has settled onto the quiet deck, the cockpit begins to open up. Luke removes his helmet and sets down before swinging his legs over the side and dropping to the ground with a soft click, showing a subtle flair for acrobatics in his smooth movements. He turns and takes a couple of steps toward the gathered, his eyes going from Gren to Twila, then back to the Colonel again, followed up by a bow of his head. Without his Jedi robes, he looks much more slender than the last time Twila ran into him. "Hello, Colonel," he says. "Thank you for your hospitality." Meanwhile, R2-D2 goes to work at shutting down the X-Wing. Quite dissimilar from Luke, he dismounts by ejecting himself from the fighter with a pop, and uses the recently repaired thrusters in his legs to bring him to a slow descent, switching them off before they can scar the deck. A hoot, and a pissed raspberry are the response to Twila's kick, as well as a glare from Gren. The pacifistic little droid has developed something of an attitude, since flying with the one-eyed pilot, apparently. Another hoot, of admiration, as R2 floats down to the ground. No doubt, begging for a set of thrusters of his own. SH0RTY rolls to the opposite of Gren, away from Twila. "Skywalker." A respectful nod of his head, and the Colonel looks the Jedi in the eyes, well, in the eye, as it were. But, he shows no hesitance, being in the room with a force user, as he has had much contact with a pair of very evil ones, of late. "Welcome to the Authority. What exactly, did you wish to discuss?" Again, he is blunt, and straight to the point. Though, likely, he has a fair idea of what the topic will be. Twila chews at the inside of her cheek while she stares down Luke, apparently not the one to be cowed by the sight of a Jedi, perhaps lulled into some sense of false security by how he's on their 'turf', so to speak. She lets Gren speak for them both, which is probably a good thing because it'd probably be pretty bad for him if he were to try and correct her for something 'wrong' at a time like this. "Thank you," replies Luke, but answers Gren's question in a similar fashion. To the point. "Tyler." He waits for R2-D2 to roll up at his side, before taking a few more steps to close the distance in a non-aggressive way. "I need to make it clear that my visit here is not on the authority of the New Republic." One hand comes out from behind his back to gesture as he speaks. "I'm here to investigate Tyler's movements, and try to find out what exactly is going on down there." He tips his head toward the precise location of the smuggler's moon outside the ship, even though it may not be visible. Then, his eyes squint as he considers Gren and Twila, gently stretching out with his senses to begin gaining a familiarity with the area, the hangar bay, and the feelings of the two sentients with whom he speaks. "But, like you said... there may be a greater opportunity here for our forces. I would, however, need to convince the commander of the Audacity, and perhaps one of the fleet's commanders, to take action." "Yes. The Audacity alone, even in conjunction with the Authority and the Emendation would stand little chance, should a battle erupt." Gren admits, crossing his arms, and studying the Jedi. Gren Delede's feelings, should they be being probed with the Force, would show a spike of hate, and anger, at the mention of Tyler, as well as an undercurrent of tension, with a softening of it all, the few times that he glances at Twila, during the conversation. "I have a man that is associated with Malign. He can come and go...he even managed to insert an ESPO squad to defend our Doctor's field hospital." A clearing of his throat, and Delede continues..."This is all OOAG information, so I am taking a risk in revealing it. I also run a risk by speaking with you, for Tyler, and Vichten possess information that would destroy my career, Jedi." A shrug, and the man is trusting this man's reputation, apparently...though, Virda is likely going to have an embolism. "Tyler has his hands in the underworld of Nar Shaddaa. He is assisting in the destruction of the Hutt powerbase on the Moon. There is nothing but chaos, as rival gangs fight for a place in the new hierarchy, and it appears, that it may be too late to keep the old guard from falling completely." A gesture toward the MagCon field that leads to open space. "I have been informed that the Sith Agenda no longer matches that of the Imperial War Machine. And, I believe that this would be as good a time as any, to attempt the destruction of Malign. If the Empire is unconnected to this blockade, than a fleet contribution on the New Republic's part could lead to a victory. One, that, last I heard, your people could use, after the loss of Coruscant." A sigh, and he reaches into his tunic, and withdraws a chain, on which is a small communications device, in the form of an Imperial insignia. It's tossed toward Skywalker. "I made an agreement to do Malign's bidding, in exchange for the life of..." A glance at Twila, as he reveals the last part of the trade..."of my fiancée. And, I want my soul back. I cannot have that, so long as the Sith holds sway." Twila winces at something, something Gren would know about as he was part of it and something Luke would surely sense if he's trying to get a feel for her emotions, turmoil and anguish over what happened to her, the torture as well as having to deal with the knowledge that her love had to make the deal he did with Malign just to have her freed. Her stubbornness is the only thing that keeps the woman in check, Twila's willpower the only thing that keeps her from crying at this moment. Luke's hand comes up into the air and snatches the comm device without looking at it. The difference between his smooth mannerisms and the last time Twila 'saw' him is remarkable. Where before he seemed to move more like a half-drunk but extremely skilled smuggler, this time his mannerisms and movements are more that of a subtle artist. As he listens to Delede's words, and as the Force fills him with the subtleties of knowledge that such emotions tell, he finds himself filled with sympathy... and awareness. Awareness that a bold move could bring about quick freedom, or the swift bond of the dark side to these people. His eyes shift from Delede to Twila, whom he watches for some time. "Artoo," he says, "Send word to the Audacity's Intel chief. The information being delivered from Ghost Five to Phoenix is to be classified immediately." He's clearly doing Delede and his people a big favor. Looking back toward Gren, Luke draws in a long breath, his eyes filled with a sharpness that hints at the volume of his duty, wisdom, and responsibility. Even if these two don't completely understand it, it's there in his eyes, and it doesn't seem forced or unnatural. "The ways of the Sith are subversive and destructive," he says at last. His hand motions toward both of them again. "You both understand the danger you've put yourselves into by becoming involved with Malign. What I can tell you is that Malign has a Sith Master, a man known to the galaxy as Aleister Vadim. The Emperor. A move against Malign right now could serve to further reveal the plans of Vadim, but a failure would serve to help enslave the galaxy under Vadim's elusive plot quicker than any of us would like." He begins tucking the comm device away into one of his pockets. "We live in a world that is fraught with danger, and intrigue, Jedi. As much as I regret having been ensnared in much of it..." A pause, and Gren looks at Twila. "I do not regret dealing with Tyler." A pause, and he touches the stump of the pink on his left hand. His soul was not all that he lost for that action. "I told him that I did not care for the fate of the Corporate Sector on that day." A frown breaks across his face, and he continues to stare into the wise eyes of Luke. "I know all about the Emperor's being Sith. My OOAG source is quite well informed, though, I fear, he will be unable to straddle the different sides, for much longer." A glance at Twila, and the Colonel sets his jaw. "I do not know if I can continue to work in two different worlds..." This is a subtle musing, though, he quickly shakes his head, and looks back at Luke. "I digress, and do not wish to burden you with my problems." Another gesture out the bay door, where in the distance, the Moon is visible. "I have people on the surface. They need help." A nod to the communicator that the Jedi tucks away..."And, I have thrown my life away, if Tyler survives. But, to help my people, and find the man that once served a cause greater than his own greed....I am willing to take that risk. Anything that I can do, I will try." To the Jedi, a new persistence, and setting of will may be able to be read...while Twila can surely sense that her lover has just made a statement that will likely end in a change of the man she is engaged to, or end in his death. Possibly both. He seems content, though. "That communicator can contact Tyler Damion. Directly." Like it or not, Luke...in a way, this CSSD officer has bound himself to the cause against the Sith, even if it is only on the periphery...far away from that, even. Twila turns a surprised look to Gren, shocked that he'd say as much as he did, the desire to cry replaced by a totally different emotion, now, ire mingling with confusion over how the Colonel seems so quick to tell Luke what he has. It's a good thing Shorty's on the other side of its master, now, as it would surely get lashed out at, again, the woman's desire to physically hit something just about over-whelming, now. "Colonel..." she starts to say while looking at Luke out of the corner of her eye. "Please. Don't. You'll get us killed. All of us." Biting her lower lip as if trying to silence herself through pain, she turns around, facing the Jedi fully, now. "You think we do not know the danger, Skywalker? You think we do not know what would happen if our attempt to thwart Tyler and his puppet master fails?" Advancing towards the man, her hand brushes against her hip and the butt of the pistol holstered there. Surely she's not planning on drawing on him. "I grow tired of people like you talking about danger while you do nothing. Time to put words into action, Jedi. Think you and your New Republic can do that?" Well, that was sort of civil, wasn't it? Luke's eyes shift to peer down at his pocket, then back up and over toward Twila. "While I could abuse my abilities to learn whether you know the danger, Miss Virda, I don't. My warning is a service to you and your friends." The unspoken addition coming from his terse, commander's tone of voice, says that Twila should be careful with whom she scolds. His eyes then shift back to Delede. "I can agree that the best time to strike is now. I also see things in a way that goes beyond the carnal. Simple military strategizing does not always work well against the Sith. It's entirely possible that Tyler has foreseen this meeting..." His words grow slow and foreboding. "...and has prepared for it." Taking a step back, R2-D2 warbles and beeps, while rolling back to stay in line with Luke. "Nevertheless... I honor your sincerity and your decisions. I will do everything in my power to see the best course of action, and I will ask the fleet to stand beside me." He looks over to his counterpart and reaches for a separate pocket. "Artoo, load the decryption algorithms for frequency seventeen-besh." He takes out a datadisk from his pocket and inserts it into the droid's socket. A moment later, Luke takes the disk out and walks over, offering it to Gren. "May the Force be with you." "Twila. Enough. We have enough powerful enemies. There is no need to antagonize the Jedi." A quiet sigh, and Gren nods his head, in response to the words of Luke. A few more seconds of silence, as he watches Skywalker go about his business with the spunky little droid, and he reaches out, to take the item that is offered him. He inspects the datadisk, and smiles, just slightly. "I don't know that the Force has ever been with me...but I'd like to hope that it will make an appearance, now." Karma and all that. The disk is pocketed, assuming that he will be able to inspect it later, and figure out just what it is. "We will gladly be here to fight alongside you. I can field a squadron of Centurions, and a squadron and a half of IRD-A's. And, this Strike Cruiser has heavily modified armor and shielding...so we can stand toe-to-toe in a battle fleet." A final nod of his head, and he turns, speaking over his shoulder. "If the Sith has prepared for this, then so be it. He can kill me, but I will die a man expecting it. I will not be betrayed like the rest of his minions." With that, he his gone, not one for extended farewells, and also expecting to be contacted again, before this drama has played itself out. Turning on the heel of one booted foot, Twila gawks at Gren while clenching her jaw. "WHAT? I was being civil! I didn't -shoot- him!" Glowering at Delede's back, she then turns to look at Luke from over her left shoulder, the smoldering expression lessening only slightly, most likely at how he spoke to her just moments before. "May the Force be with us all. We need all the help we can get." She walks towards the middle of the hangar, then, physically removing herself from the presence of the Jedi as Gren seems to also be departing, stopping once she's a good ten or twelve meters from him. Delede's tactical information is acknowledged with little more than a nod. Skywalker will pass it along, of course. He turns toward Twila as she responds to his farewell, and draws in a breath through his nose. "I'm empathetic toward your situation," he offers, but little more can be said now. Perhaps they'll make it through this mess and have more time for pleasantries. More than likely, Delede, Virda, and their crew will become refugees from the Empire and even the CSA. Time will tell. Luke turns and makes way for Jedi One. "Come along, Artoo."